Cursed Explorer of the Arcana

“How about a bet then, young lady?” Martha presents the challenge and turning something like that down would be very much unlike me.

Sometimes I even accept bets where the whole thing is clearly rigged against me because beating the odds and coming out victorious is just… it’s fucking nice.

“Let’s hear it!” I edge her on almost as if the hundred-plus age gap between us didn’t even exist.

“Since it's time for the squad battles my presence is no longer needed, meaning I can stretch my legs a little and teach you, a lucky one destined to learn in Sereban, a crucial lesson. Besides, you wouldn’t be allowed to participate either way, you’re a little too weak and don’t know anything about how we do things here. No offense.” She adds.

Well, offense taken. Making me skip the damn things isn’t the best way to teach me how you do things here, isn’t it? Now, I really hope she makes this worth my time or I’ll just refuse and endure watching the others having fun no matter how bored I’ll feel.

“Out with it already!” I demand since she still hasn’t elaborated on what this bet is all about.

“Fine, fine, just a second.” Martha waves. “Wait here!” She disappears, again.

Isn’t that supposed to be really mana-intensive? Also really lazy… a~nd she’s next to me, this time with a bag slung over her shoulder. Space magic better be a part of Savant you hear me Librea?

“Here’s the bet,” She leans closer with a devious smile creeping onto her face. “You’re asking for the privileges of the older kids so you must complete the same challenges as the older kids. The task is taking down beasts in the nearby forest,” She says that last part melodically. “and if you complete your task we can go out there on similar adventures more often.” Yes yes yes. “But if you fail, you’ll be obedient and listen to what I say. No more attitude and you’ll just sit and watch when I tell you to. So, deal?”

Her face, the wording, how easy it sounds… everything screams trap, especially that smile I’m so familiar with courtesy to Mom. I know it’s a trap and still, there’s a chance for me to have fun more often if I win and at the end of the day I would have to listen to Martha one way or the other… What’s there to lose? Uh, one more thing.

“That sounds fine but my mana won’t last very long, so we won’t be able to do anything consistently.” I feign concern.

“Oh don’t worry dear, I’ve got that covered.” She pats her bag.

“Deal it is, then.” We shake on that. Both of us grinning, thinking we tricked the other.

“Wonderful.” She grabs me and teleports us again and again.

The whole changing place instantly thing just like she said this time is more bearable than the last, though I still need to shake off the dizziness and fight the slight nausea. The instant change in lights, sounds and even the sense of balance is just impossible to get used to, like a secret recipe for throwing up.

“I won’t get a slap on my wrist if I jump around in the Fort but the city administration would be way less understanding so we’ll have to walk to the forest from here.” She tells me as we appear right at the main entrance of this massive stronghold of stone. “We have some things to discuss anyway, come!”

Yesss. No better place to grind Skills than the forest with live targets. Especially now that I’m sort of over the whole I don’t want to hurt the animals bullcrap. They’re not smiling at me with all their teeth because they want scratches so I won’t act like the helpless princess either. I hate that role anyway.

I’m not saying the duels and team training are meaningless, they are hella important… probably. More so than skill grinding… Okay maybe not, still significant tho. Right now my problem is that I’m too weak to actually take part in those exercises.

“It’s not that you’re behind in strength, not only that at least. You lack other important aspects necessary for a proficient fighter, knowledge and patience being two of the many.” Okay, can we stop with the insults? “You don’t know your opponents, nor your allies, you lack the qualities of a team player, like trust in others and maneuvers.” Martha never looks in my direction as she explains. “Those are techniques no beast can ever teach you, besides a few notable exceptions, otherwise we’d have everyone run around in the wilds destroying anything in their path to become stronger. Like the orcs.”

I don’t think I’m on board with this verbal assessment of my shortcomings… I don’t like how long the list is becoming. Like, I get it, I need the mock duels and all that theory to be more than some lunatic throwing magic everywhere on a battlefield. If the veteran says it’ll save my life in the future then I better believe it but still, can we stop the shit-talking?

How dare she talk to me about experience and all that crap when I’m merely nine she’s like two hundred. She should be at least twenty times more experienced than me with those wrinkles.

“You just thought something rude, didn’t you?”

Just like Bennett. How?

She just sighs. “Elyssia, you need to learn some discipline. I’m way older than you and also outrank you by quite a lot. Show some respect will ya? I’m only lenient when it’s less official like currently. In the presence of other members, however, and especially command, I advise you to act more appropriately.” She continues walking and adds. “And your face is like an open book with your every thought clear to see.”

I stop at the revelation, eyes wide as her explanation hits home. So there are no secret abilities? Is it just me being dumb?

“Can you show me how to read these face books?” I ask hopefully. This sounds like one of the most potent abilities.

“This is not something that can be explained, time is the greatest teacher in this case.” She smiles at my confusion. “Just observe the movements and faces of people. You’ll be able to see telltale signs of their emotions and thoughts if you’re experienced enough.” Then she winks at me and tilts her head. “Isn’t that what you’ve done during your last duel?”

“Me? No, I just imagine what I would do in their place and guess the likelihood of their actions. It’s an important skill at tag and hide and seek.” I announce proudly.

Martha just stops in her steps, in fact, she stops blinking and breathing as well. What a weird reaction, maybe she didn’t play much tag as a child. I just continue down the road undisturbed.

This city is home to so much life it's almost dazzling. I often grumbled about the traffic back home where I had to dodge all the workers carrying baggage the size of smaller sheds or pushing through the crowd with their superior Might but now… everything is scaled up, multiplied, faster, bigger and simply more. I like how lively it is and at the same time absolutely hate how lively it is. I don’t like crowds after all.

Unlike at home, there are a lot more other races present although humans are still the overwhelming majority. There are many demikin, humans with beastly features, a stray few gracious elves and ever watchful halflings are also visible. Some of the roadside stalls selling heavenly-smelling food are manned by beastmen of many kinds, animals with human-like features. There’s a distinct lack of dwarves and gnomes but as far as I know, those are more of the industrious type, sitting in their workshops and tinkering day in and day out. Then there are the ‘What the hell are you?” races, like the man with vines instead of hair, the other dude with purple skin and a pair of extra arms, and a few more exotic types.

The streets are as full as ever, the middle part designated for wagons and carriages and the sides bustling with foot traffic. The messengers don't use the common roads, since their speed is too high, and any mistake could endanger normal folk. Restricted paths are built in cities to provide shorter and unimpeded routes for these runners, a rather ingenious design altogether. The only problem I see is when the two types of roads cross their path. What happens then? Someone not necessarily smarter, maybe wiser must’ve found a solution for that, or else the whole thing wouldn’t be worth it.

As much as I despise everything that happened in the past week, hate Bennett for taking me from home and just generally wish everything to be back to normal, this city is an exception. I like it, and I’m sure Mom and Dad would like it if they were here with me right now. My new home for the next few years…

“Can I ask something?” I know I just did and I really hope she won’t be pulling the ‘You already did.’ shit.

“Oh honey, it is my job to answer.” Martha chuckles with a genuine smile. “As a matter of fact I’d love for you to ask things. It means you’re paying attention and are capable of independent thinking, a skill probably more important than any mana art. So yes, ask!”

“Why am I here?” I ask before elaborating. “Why not just leave me to my fate? What am I to the Fist?”

“Hm, I hoped to avoid this conversation for at least another year because I think you’re too young but at the same time, you have every right to know.” I like to hear that Martha, now out with it! “We need you but not desperately enough to rob you of your freedom. Some of our leaders might but most of our members like to receive their salary with as few inhumane acts behind them as possible. A good night’s sleep is quite the sum.”

Okay, I understand you wash your hands, now answer the damn question!

“After the age of twelve, we usually send out the younglings to do some light adventuring work with our retiring members. Some valuable experience for the kids and a way to wind down for the gray hairs like me. The lucky ones go to the capital, to study and the prestigious Academy of Seraban and show off what they learned.” Okay, I don’t know what that is but it sure as hell sounds important, it’s named after the capital after all. “During the long peace countries and organizations found a new way to compete with each other without rekindling the flames of war. Tournaments. We need you to be as flashy, as special, and as devastating as possible while fighting in those tournaments as a sort of super advertisement.”

So all the fighting and killing Bennett did and the time and resources the Fist is planning to spend on me is just to… just to make me into one of those flashy signs merchants put above their stalls. I thought I’d become like a super weapon, an ace up the sleeve…

“So not fighting?” I ask while trying to piece everything together.

“Dear, there could be a million of you and I’d still win. Even if you had twenty years to grow I’d still beat ten of you.” Martha stops and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Brawn is not what we’re expecting from you, we have plenty of that, trust me and I’m not saying this to discourage you. The current you is just a sapling in a forest of giants but when I was your age I would've lost to you seven out of nine times so you’re not behind in any way. You’re not a special weapon Eli, you’re a special person.”

Her explanation leaves me… empty. I expected every day here to be a struggle for my freedom and a desperate scramble for power but… what now? I am not free by any means, nor am I safe in case I decide to leave and to top it off I definitely can’t go back to Mom and Dad. So does anything change?

No. Or maybe some things do. This place, Granhall and Fort Karon… I don’t need to fight it and it’s simply foolish to rebel, rather I should use everything I can to grow. Every opportunity, every connection, every minute of my days because I don’t want to die, hopefully in the far future, knowing I could’ve done more.

“And what comes after that Academy place? Do I go back home?” I ask I find my footing again.

“That’s a place of learning, you won’t be any stronger than the average soldier by the time you return.” She explains, saying no, without actually saying no. “After you finish you’ll become a full-fledged member and serve for a few years to return our kindness and also grow into a formidable mage. One who can protect what’s dear to her.”

She’s underestimating me again. This is basically a scam covered in wraps and sold as candy. They get their money’s worth just by sending me to that Academy to kick some ass and now they want me to work for them and… and earn really well and travel and maybe fight a little...

It doesn’t sound all too bad to be fair.

***

“... and that’s why you don’t see any cleaners or other staff back in the Fort.” Martha explains as we arrive to the familiar treeline.

Basically, everyone necessary for such a large stronghold to function and stay clean does their work at night and when we’re out in the courtyard in the evening, moving like assassins and cleaning up after us. They work in the dark to serve the light.

We switched to lighter topics after the revelation about my whole purpose and had quite a nice chat on our way here. If Bennett is the brutish type of captain then Martha is the one who smacks him on the head when he’s about to do something stupid. She’s way more intelligent and it’s not thanks to the stat.

“This is Bolna Forest, named after the huge Bolna Lizards nesting deep in its center around the jagged hills. Never go there!” She warns as a precaution. “The outer edges are inhabited by anything ranging from level 10 to 80 so I’ll let you roam freely while keeping an eye on you from a distance. We take the older kids out here quite often and even make them camp in the forest for a few days as a form of wilderness training. They quite like it.” She nods.

“You make it sound like taking your pet for a walk.” I point a fact she probably missed.

“Yeah… So your challenge will be to kill some beasts with a combined level of 100.” And she already changed the topic. “You’ll only get two tools for this task.” She pulls out a familiar colored crystal and a knife. “A small Hadron crystal for additional mana and an emergency knife. If I have to come and save you I’ll consider that a failure, although if a beast is more than thrice your level maybe I can be a little lenient. That's all, have a good hunt.” And she disappears without another word.

She’s not that different from Bennett in the end huh… Well, let’s win this bet then shall we?